Air circulation control means



July 11, 1967 D, DEL CQLLE 3,330,202

AIR CIRCULATION CONTROL MEANS Filed March 31, 1966 T1 t l /6 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 mvsu'ron Don mac DEL 60445 Juiy 11, 1967 m. DEL COLLE AIR CIRCULATION CONTROL MEANS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 31, 1966 &

July 11, 1967 AIR Filed March 31, 1966 D. DEL COLLE CIRCULATION CONTROL MEANS 4 Sheets-Sheet o INVENTOR Daw/N/c'Da 6'04 LE July 11, 1967 Filed March 31, 1966 D DEL COLLE AIR CIRCULATION CONTROL MEANS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 'INVENTOR 2044mm: .DEL CaLLE United States Patent 3,330,202 AIR CIRCULATION CONTROL MEANS Dominic Del Colle, 115-75 Parkway Drive, Elmont, N.Y. 11003 Filed Mar. 31, 1966, Ser. No. 539,099 Claims. (CI. 98-40) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An air director in an air conditioner including a plurality of horizontally spaced H-shaped bracket rockable about the centers of their cross-arms and each supporting a pair of parallel vertical vanes projecting from the opposite legs of the bracket. A rocker plate affixed to each bracket has circumferentially spaced openings which are selectively engaged by pins depending from a motor reciprocated bar which periodically rocks the vane pairs, which in turn are angularly adjustable.

The present invention relates generally to improvements in air circulation control and distribution and it relates more particularly to an improved device for controlling the direction of the flow of air from an opening into a relatively large area.

In the circulation of air, attendant particularly to the heating, cooling, filtering or other air conditioning of enclosed living areas, whether of a public or private nature, it is a common expedient to direct the flow of air through one or more registers or openings into a relatively large enclosed area. These openings are either in the casing of a self contained air conditioning unit or at the terminals of a duct network leading to a central air conditioning system. In order to achieve optimum results it is necessary that the conditioned air be circulated throughout the enclosed area with a minimum impedence to its flow and with a minimum consumption of air circulating energy. Many types of air flow directing devices have been employed and proposed for directing and distributing the flow of air through an opening but these have possessed numerous drawbacks and disadvantages. As typified by adjustable air directing louver assemblies these devices are bulky and ineflicient, of little flexibility and of poor air distribution, and otherwise leave much to be desired.

It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved air flow control device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved deviec for controlling the direction of an air fiow through an opening into a relatively large area.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved air flow distributing device which is highly adjustable in directivity and spread.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable air flow directing and distributing device which is light weight and inexpensive and may be constructed in part of synthetic organic plastics.

Still further object of the present invention is to provide a device of the above nature characterized by its ruggedness, simplicity, efiiciency and reliability.

The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of a self contained air conditioning unit embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevational view of the air outlet section of the air conditioning unit;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 33 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary exploded perspective rear view of the air flow distributing mechanism;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 55 in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary top plan view of the air distributing mechanism shown by full and broken lines in opposite end positions of a full distribution swing;

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 6 illustrating the mechanism with a limited angle air distribution in one direction; and

FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 7 with the mechanism adjusted to a limited angle air distribution in another direction.

In a sense the present invention contemplates the provision of an air flow control device comprising a plurality of transversely spaced longitudinally extending vanes located in the path of a flow of air, means supporting said vanes for rocking about longitudinal axes eccentric to the planes of said vanes, and means for varying the angles of said vanes about said longitudinal axes.

In accordance with a preferred form of the present device, the device is positioned in registry with an air outlet opening and includes a horizontal support bar provided with regularly spaced upright pivot pins and a bracket s'wingably engaging each of the pivot pins and supporting a pair of vertical symmetrically disposed opposite parallel vanes. A radial rocker arm is aflixed to each of the brackets and has circumferentially spaced openings formed therein and a connecting rod is provided with regularly spaced depending pins which releasably engage respective selected of said rocker arm opening and means are provided for reciprocating the connecting rod to correspondingly rock the brackets and vanes.

Referring now to the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the reference numeral 10 generally designates a self contained air conditioner provided with the improved air fiow distributing assembly 11. The air conditioner 10 comprises a housing 12 which encloses a conventional air conditioning unit including evaporator coils, and a blower which pulls in air and effects the flow thereof past the evaporator coils into a plenum chamber-13 through a port 14 formed in a bottom rear corner of the plenum chamber 13. The plenum chamber 13 is defined by the housing top wall 16 the upper parts of the housing side walls 17 a bottom wall 18 positioned below the forward part of top wall 16 and a rear bafiie wall including a transversely extending vertical section 20 and an inclined vertical section 15.

The plenum chamber 13 is provided with a rectangular front air outlet opening 19 which extends substantially across the full upper front face of the housing 12 and has registering therewith a correspondingly shaped removable frame member including vertical side legs 21. A medially located vertical bar 22 extends across the frame member and a plurality of vertically spaced parallel louvers 23 extends between the bar 22 and a corresponding frame leg 21, the louvers 23 being provided with outwardly projecting axial end pins journalled in the bar 22 and legs 21. Means are advantageously provided for adjusting the angle of the louvers of each vertical set thereof about their respective horizontal axes. Thus, during operation of the air conditioner 10 air is blown through the opening 14 and plenum chamber 13 outwardly through the front louvered opening of the plenum chamber.

The mechanism for horizontally controlling and effecting the distribution of the effluent air includes a transversely extending horizontal mounting bar 26 positioned on the plenum chamber bottom wall 18 rearwardly of rocker arm or plate 28 provided adjacent an "pair or recesses are the louvers 23 and se'cured thereto by nuts and bolts 24. The bar 26 is advantageously formed of a synthetic'organic polymer or other suitable material such as by in- 'jection molding or the like andincludes a plurality of regularly transversely spaced upwardly directed .arms 28 being spaced above the bar 26 by spacer washers 25 engaging \the pins 27 between the bar 26 and the rocker 7 arms 28. A plurality of circumferentially spaced circular openings 29 is formed in each rocker arm 28 equidistant fromthe axis of the respective sleeve 29. Mounted atop a each sleeve 29 is anH-shaped horizontal bracket including a cross bar 30 secured at its mid point to the top of i the sleeve 29 and having an opening therein coaxial with the sleeve 29 and engaging a pivot pin 27. The pivot pins 27 are upset at their upper ends to form enlarged heads 32 which lock the bracket assemblies to the pivot pins and permit the rotation thereof.

A pair of horizontal parallel legs 33 are joined at their medial sections to the opposite ends of the cross bar 30. Projecting upwardly from and joined to the opposite outer edges of the legs 33 are a pair of parallel flat vertical vanes "34 delineating between them an outwardly directed air passageway whose direction is varied with the swinging of the bracket assembly about a pivot pin 27. The vanes '34 extend upwardly or longitudinally to a level a short distance below th'e'top wall 16 and are advantageously of a' width such that the distance of the end edges there- 'Of'fl'OlIl the vane axes of rotation, the vertical axes of a corresponding pivot pin 27 is approximately or slightly less than half that between successive pivot pins 27. e In order to effect the angular adjustment or continuous rocking of the vanes 34 there is provided a transversely extending connector rod or bar 36 provided with a plurality of depending coupling pins 37 spaced along the length 0f the rod 36, the distance between successive pins 37 being equal to the distance between successive pivot pins 27. Each of the coupling pins 37 releasably engages an opening 29 in a corresponding rocker arm 28 and the combined height of the pin 37 and bar 36 is less than the distances between the confronting faces of the rocker plate 29' and bracket legs 33 whereby to permit thedisengagement of the coupling pins 37 from the openings 7 29 for adjustment purposesand the height of the pins 37 is greater than that of the rocker arm 29 by an amount "less than the thickness of washers 25.'A link 38 is hinged to and projects from an end of the connector rod 36, and the rod 36, pins 37 and link 38 are advantageously integrally formed of a synthetic plastic, a self hinge 39 of reduced cross-section joining the rod 36 and link 38.'A

formed in the front edge of the rod '36 symmetrical to each of'the pins 37 and spaced thereffrom a distance about that between the openings 29 and pivot pins 27 to provide clearance for the sleeves 29.

, An adjusting or drive mechanism is'positioned adjacent to and below a side end of the bottom wall 18 and advant-ageously'includes a suitably mounted slow speed electrically driven motor 40 provided 'with a vertical drive shaft 41 projecting through and above the wall 18.

A crank shaft- 42 is affixed to the'top of the drive shaft .41 1 at just below the level of the link 38 and has a plurality of radially spaced coupling openings 43 formed therein.

The outer end of the link 38 is releasably adjustably 'coupled to the crank arm 43 by means of a coupling pin 44 having an enlarged head and separably engaging an opening 46 formed in the end of the link 38 and a selected of the crank arm 7 .vided for actuatingand deactuating the motor 40 and, advantageously for adjusting the speed thereof.

fstroke of said bar J e e 5. The air flow control device of claim 10 wherein'saidopenings 43. Asuitable control is pro-. v

. 4 a r I.

In operation of the air flow directing and distributing system described above for effecting 'a full sweep 'of the flow of air flowing out of the air conditioner 10, the link 38 is coupled to the crank arm outer opening 43 'by means of the pin 44 and the connector rod 'pins 37 are' engagement with the medial .rocker ,arm openings 29 as illustrated in FIGURE 6 ofthe drawings.

positioned in Upon energization of the motor 40 the shaft 41 and crank arm 42 are rotated to reciprocate the connector rod 36 by way of the link tical axes for wide'sweeps to the left" and right of a forward direction. By controlling the motor 40 to deactuate it at a selected point, the vanes 34 maybe stopped at any position to provide a flow of air in a relatively narrow a desired direction.

To provide a limited sweep of air flow, between that effected by the stationary vanes and that effected by the full sweep thereof, as described above, the link 38 is con- 7 nected to the crank arm 42 at the inner opening 43 by. means of the coupling pin 44. If it is desired that the air flow sweep be forwardly directed the coupling pins,37-'

are maintained in engagement with the rocker arm medial opening 29. On the other hand by positioning the coupling pins 37 in engagement openings 29, as seen in directed to the left, and by positioning the coupling pins 37 in engagement with the right hand rocker arm openings 29, as seen in FIGURE 8, the air flow sweep is directed to the right.

It should be noted that with the present air directing control mechanism an air flow of minimum turbulance is produced with great efiiciency and witha wide range of control. In addition to the adjusted arrangements spe- V citically described above other arrangements may be er'n-- V a 'ployed, for'example, the vane pairs may be oriented in .difierent directionsby having different openings 29 of .the respective rocker arms 28 engaged by the pins 37; Morethe vanes 34 may beef-1 much lesser dimensions than those conventionally employed.

over, with the present structure,

While there has been described 'and illustrated a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is apparent.

that numerous alterations, omissions and additions may be made without departing from the spirit thereof. 1

What is claimed is: r 1. An air flow control device comprising ,a plurality of transversely spaced longitudinally extending vanes located in the path of a flow of air, means supporting said vanes for rockingabout longitudinal axes eccentric to the planes of said vanes, means for independently adjusting the angles of each of said vanes about corresponding of said longitudinal. axes, and means for periodically, simultaneously oscillating said vanes a predetermined angle abouttheir respective axes.

2.-The air flow control device of claim 1 wherein said longitudinal axesare parallel to and transversely offset from respective of said vanes and including means for adjusting said predetermined angle. 3. The airflow control device of angle varying means includes a transversely extending bar pivotly connected to each of said brackets at points equally spaced from corresponding of said longitudinal axes, and means for'transversely movingsaid bar. v

4. The air flow control device of claim'10 wherein said angle varying means includes a transversely extending bar pivotlyconnected to each of said' brackets at points equally spaced from corresponding of said'longitudinal axes, means for periodically transversely oscillating said bar, and means for adjusting the transverse oscillation points and the distance between successive hinge points 38 for its maximum stroke to rock or oscillate the pairs of vanes 34 about medial verwith the left. hand rocker arm FIGURE'7, the air flow sweep is claim 10 wherein said; 1

is approximately twice the distance between said hinge point and a longitudinal edge of a respective vane.

6. The air flow control device of claim including a transversely extending support bar, and a plurality of transversely spaced longitudinally projecting rockably mating coaxial pivot pins and sleeves mounted on said support bar and said brackets.

7. The air flow control device of claim 10 wherein each of said brackets comprises a bracket arm extending transversely between the end edges of a corresponding pair of successive vanes, and including a longitudinally extending sleeve mounted on each bracket arm between the ends thereof, and a transversely extending mounting bar provided with regularly spaced longitudinally projecting pivot pins engaging respective of said sleeves.

8. The air flow control device of claim 7 wherein said vane angle varying means comprises a radially projecting rocker arm secured to each of said sleeves, a transversely extending connector bar, and means pivotly coupling said connector bar to each of said rocker arms at points equidistant from respective pivot pins.

9. The air flow control device of claim 7 wherein said vane angle varying means comprises a radially projecting rocker arm secured to each of said sleeves and having formed therein circumferentially spaced openings equidistant from respective sleeves, a transversely extending connector bar having transversely spaced longitudinally projecting pivot pins releasably engaging a selected opening in each of said rocker arms, a drive motor, a crank arm rotated by said drive motor, and a link connecting said crank arm and said connector bar and adjustable along the length of said crank arm.

10. An air flow control device comprising a plurality of transversely spaced longitudinally extending vanes located in the path of How of air, a plurality of transversely spaced transversely extending brackets supported at hinge points between the ends thereof for rocking about longitudinal axes eccentric to the planes of respective of said vanes, a parallel pair of said vanes mounted on each of said brackets on opposite sides of a corresponding hinge point, and means for varying the angles of said vanes about said longitudinal axes including means for varying the angle of said brackets about said longitudinal axes.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 683,447 10/1901 r- Degge. 2,800,851 7/1957 Kronrad et a1. 9840 2,901,961 9/1959 Cotts 98-40 MEYER PERLIN, Primary Examiner. ROBERT A. OLEARY, Examiner. W. E. WAYNER. Assistant Examiner. 

10. AN AIR FLOW CONTROL DEVICE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF TRANSVERSELY SPACED LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING VANES LOCATED IN THE PATH OF FLOW AIR, A PLURALITY OF TRANSVERSELY SPACED TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING BRACKETS SUPPORTED AT HINGE POINTS BETWEEN THE ENDS THEREOF FOR ROCKING ABOUT LONGITUDINAL AXES ECCENTRIC TO THE PLANES OF RESPECTIVE OF SAID VANES, A PARALLEL PAIR OF SAID VANES MOUNTED ON EACH OF SAID BRACKETS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF A CORRESPONDING HINGE POINT, AND MEANS FOR VARYING THE ANGLES OF SAID VANES ABOUT SAID LONGITUDINAL AXES INCLUDING MEANS FOR VARYING THE ANGLE OF SAID BRACKETS ABOUT SAID LONGITUDINAL AXES. 